US to revoke visas of Chinese students in sensitive fields

English , International - بین الاقوامی , Snippets , / Friday, May 30th, 2025

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The Trump administration announced plans to aggressively revoke visas for Chinese students studying in the United States, particularly those linked to the Chinese Communist Party or enrolled in sensitive academic fields.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the move is aimed at enhancing national security and protecting intellectual property. Future visa criteria for applicants from China and Hong Kong will also be tightened. Rubio confirmed that US embassies have been ordered to halt new student visa appointments as part of expanded vetting procedures, including social media scrutiny.
The policy shift comes amid rising tensions between the US and China, worsened by a trade war and strategic rivalry. China responded sharply, urging Washington to protect the rights of international students and adopt a more constructive approach.
An estimated 280,000 Chinese students were enrolled in US institutions last year. The administration has already revoked thousands of foreign student visas and frozen hundreds of millions in university funding. Some of these measures have been blocked by US courts.
Top universities such as Harvard have challenged the crackdown. In a court filing, Harvard warned of “irreparable harm” to its international programs, citing student anxiety, disrupted studies, and fears of being forced to return to unstable countries.
Chinese students, once the largest group of international scholars in the US, have seen their numbers drop due to strained diplomatic ties and pandemic-related restrictions.
One unnamed student from Shanghai told the BBC: “I already regret it,” after facing visa uncertainty while studying at the University of Pennsylvania.
China has not yet formally addressed the latest visa revocation policy but earlier criticized the administration’s global cancellation of student visa appointments.